The House of Representatives has called on the Federal Government to halt divestment applications by International Oil Companies such as Shell and TotalEnergies until they meet their environmental and social responsibilities to host communities in the Niger Delta.
The decision was taken following a motion of urgent public importance presented by the House Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, during Thursday’s plenary.
While leading the motion, Chinda referred to several independent investigationsincluding reports by the United Nations Environment Programme and the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commissionthat revealed the severe environmental impact of oil exploration in the Niger Delta.
He highlighted various critical issues affecting the region.
He reminded the House that the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission recently turned down Shell’s divestment request due to unresolved environmental liabilities and doubts about Renaissance Consortium’s capacity to effectively manage the acquired assets.
Chinda noted that past divestments such as Shell’s sale of assets in Nembe to Aiteo, ExxonMobil’s asset transfers, and the acquisition of ENI/AGIP’s assets by Oando, left host communities with persistent pollution, worsening environmental damage, and heightened social tension.
He emphasized the government’s constitutional obligation to protect its citizens, particularly those in the Niger Delta who have endured decades of environmental devastation caused by oil extraction activities.
“Approving Shell’s or TotalEnergies’ divestment requests without addressing these historical and ongoing liabilities risks undermining Nigeria’s regulatory independence, transferring corporate responsibilities to the state, and setting a dangerous precedent for environmental impunity,” Chinda argued.
The lawmakers warned that allowing IOCs to exit without ensuring accountability would further degrade the region, weaken the country’s regulatory structure, and erode public trust in the government.
